University of Florida students get accepted, with a catch -- they have to start online

College acceptance and rejection letters are typically pretty cut and dry, but many applicants to the University of Florida aren't quite sure what to make of the acceptances they received, the Washington Post explains.

About 3,000 students received notices declaring that they'd made it in -- but the letter went on to explain that their admittance offer was only valid if they agreed to start off in the university's online program, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

None of the students specifically applied for this strange start, and until very recently, the program wasn't even operational.

Called the Pathway to Campus Enrollment, or PaCE, the option requires that incoming students successfully complete 60 credits before their status can be changed to 'residential.'

The Daily Mail writes that, "On its website, UF says that PaCE helps deal with the 'limited space of campus' and gives students 'the chance to start [their] degree online and then transition to campus in order to complete it.'

Only 15 credits need to be completed through the University of Florida online program, while the others can be transfers of various types.

The site explains:

"Because of limitations to our freshman enrollment on UF's residential campus, we are unable to accommodate every capable student who applies to the university."

"However, because of your demonstrated potential, we are offering you a pathway to UF's residential campus different from our traditional transfer program."

Those who do take the institution up on their offer will pay tuition that is significantly less than that of on-campus students due to a number of fees not being relevant. The Washington Post writes: "In-state freshmen who agree to enroll in PaCE will pay 75 percent of what residential students pay for tuition (current in-state fees are $6,310 for 30 credit hours)."

Should they want the full college experience, there are two dorms available, and access to facilities and cafeterias can be had by buying passes.

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University of Florida students get accepted, with a catch -- they have to start online